Modern Recycling begins collection improvements in Lewiston
Feb. 8—LEWISTON — Residents saw their trash and recycling services get their first facelift of the year.
Modern Disposal rolled out the first phase of its improved Lewiston services, starting this week. New 96-gallon recycling carts were delivered to town residents the week before.
"The whole intent of the program is to improve recycling performance and sustainability in Lewiston," said Modern CEO and President Michael McInerney, adding that this would provide a cleaner community. There are also 65-gallon bins available.
When McInerney and Vice-President Alan Davis first announced these plans to the Lewiston Town Board this past June, Modern eyed a rollout of late August to September. McInerney said the additional time allowed them to work with their cart supplier better and develop a better communications plan. A new website was created explaining the new service changes along with sending emails and mailers to customers.
Instead of serving the whole town on Mondays, trash and recycling collection will be spread out from Monday through Friday depending on the neighborhood. Modern's reasons for this include enhanced efficiency, fewer vehicles on the road, and better collection from the entire community.
Still, some Lewiston residents posted on social media their confusion with the service changes and dissatisfaction as the changes have rolled out. McInerney said they have not experienced major issues with this phase, with Modern communicating with residents and continuing to roll the program out.
"With change, it's about making sure everyone understands what the goals are," McInerney said.
Modern Disposal services 5,170 homes in Lewiston with an average trash volume of 5,839 tons and a recycling volume of 912 tons per year. Its previous recycling containers were 18 gallons.
Modern was seeking a state grant to help cover the costs of acquiring the new recycling carts. McInerney said there were no grants available for this, so Modern had to purchase them directly.
Further phases of improving Modern's services are still in development, which they hope to get going later this year. The second phase involves expanding drop-off availability at the community recycling center to seven days a week, increasing drop-off service
Phase three would involve providing 96-gallon trash carts to each residence and upgrading the automated fleet to compressed natural gas vehicles.
The fourth and final phase will introduce a voluntary food waste and composting program, featuring dedicated organic receptacles, specialized collection vehicles, in-house composting, and working with digester facilities.
